REGIONAL PROFILE OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA: SWOT ANALYSIS Axis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats State of the art Perspectives NATURAL ENVIRONNEMENTAL CAPITAL Geographic Prosperous region position Strategic position in the combining a Southern Europe, as it dynamic and neighbours with Balkans specialised and Eastern Europe. workforce, good opportunities to Consists of seven national and foreign prefectures. Kilkis, investors, transport Pella, Imathia, Pieria, and communication Serres Thessaloniki, and networks, and the Chalkidiki presence of national and international organisations mainly in Thessaloniki. Natural Diversified natural Poor management of Coast line, lakes, resources resources (forestry, natural resources rivers, forests, water springs, rare fauna due to lack of mountainous areas & flora etc) cooperation between and subterranean accountable water supply can be Descent water resources authorities wisely used with many lakes and according to new rivers. Lack of use of national regional environmental strategy friendly sources of energy. Environment Diversified terrain The main industrial Techniques and Insufficient including the main fuel is fuel oil. It know-how towards environmental forest conservation areas accounted for 60% sustainable education in Greece (Olympus). (1991) of all development of all industrial energy tourist resorts Massive tourist requirements in the (winter and concentration Prefecture of summer) to protect with Thessaloniki, as the environment unpredicted compared to 20% from erosion, consequences in for the European pollution, the long run Union contamination and overuse of natural resources 1 HUMAN CAPITAL The population in 2001 Aging was 1.812.400, which Young people population was the 17,2% of the concentrate in the causes problems total population in city of Thessaloniki Shrinking national in terms of Greece at the same year. where job birth rate. labour turnover Demography opportunities are and small cities Region’s population higher comparing or villages being 1991-2001 increased not only to regional abandoned due 9,6% and another figures, but also to to lack of job increase is expected for national ones opportunities this decade. Employment Active population of the Excluding the Training in high Rapid decline of Region corresponds to prefecture of level of demanded the agricultural 41,6% of its total Thessaloniki, the skills and balanced and industrial population. Distribution have their 2/3 of relation between employment of employment active population in labour demand and figures. (2000):19,0% primary the primary and offer. Substantial sector, 25,5% secondary secondary sector. difference in the last sector, 55,5% the decade from tertiary sector. Few highly qualified immigrants. jobs, however impressive offer of 150 training highly educated programmes of personnel. unemployed and employed are programmed in the region. SOCIAL CAPITAL Unemployment Region has 18,7 % 37,6% is male European funded Raising (2001) of the total unemployment programmes for unemployment unemployed whereas 62,4% is unemployed rates for youth workforce of Greece. female personnel have risen and women. unemployment, lately and they can Unemployment rate which is almost the still be more. Raising long for men is lower than double lasting the EU15 average unemployment. 9,2 % was unemployment rate Increase in the in 1992 and 11,5% unemployment in 2002. of people with higher education Territorial Strong economic High risk of cohesion and social social disparities disparities within between rural region and urban zones Basins of activity with strong industrial tradition 2 face social and economic difficulties Experiences in Strong transborder SMEs in general Technological European political cooperation draw new institutes or higher territorial with FYROM, knowledge and education institutes, cooperation Bulgaria & Albania technological either governmental changes not from or private or even Many INTERREG their R&D NGOs, can play a IIIC projects and departments or more critical role to descent participation technological knowledge and in FP6. institutes, rather information transfer from their not only in services Many cooperation equipment suppliers. sector, but also in agreements with other industry. European regions, especially in the Balkans ECONOMIC CAPITAL Economic Good performance in Low productivity, Forecast for growth Geographically development the GDP level compared 69% of the EU15 rate is expected to unbalanced to EU15 (annual growth average and low reach 4,0% the next economic between 1997-200 was competitiveness years development 3,42%). However, GDP (ranking 38th per capita was only position among 80 Low 51,7% of the EU15 countries in growth) competition and average (2000) interest from international Growth rates 0,4% manufacturing (2003), 3,0% (2004), 3,8 industries (2005). External Centre of dynamic High rates of Many opportunities Weakness in the trade industrial complex, investment are arise lately with the sustainability of SMEs in the branches of effected in noticeable companies, food & beverage, textile traditional labour- development in especially in the & clothing, furniture and intensive sectors neighbouring food, textile & larger companies in the (especially in the countries and the clothing sector industries of metal food and textile Balkans in general. as they turn to production, chemicals sectors) indicates a The role of the be capital- and plastics. trend towards the region (in the intensive transformation to borderline) is industries Healthy trade (especially capital-intensive critical and all exports) mainly with sectors. infrastructure should neighbour countries like Low attractiveness be utilised FYROM, Bulgaria and for foreign Albania companies Innovation Strong education and The level of R&D in Creation of Low technology and research research base with the many industrial production services and R&D Aristotle University of branches is fairly (incubators). investment, Thessaloniki and the low. Reinforcement of mismatch the infrastructure between supply University of According to and equipment of and demand. 3 Macedonia, with 4,000 Regional European RTD laboratories. staff members and Summary Limited high- 70,000 students. There Innovation Index - Creation of 2-4 new qualified jobs are also two Technical REUSII (2001) the technological region was 35% of institutes. Difficulties in Educational Institutes the average attracting and the Thessaloniki innovation Development of innovative, new, Technology Park, which performance in mechanisms for and added value support the local Europe (EU15). transfer and creating industry. diffusion of activities According to innovation Emphasis is given in the Innovation (innovation Information development of Scoreboard 2002, observatory) flow and technological and the Regional dissemination of innovation transfer National Summary research results mechanisms and the Innovation Index – both from information society. The RNSII (which is the Greece and 27% of the total average of the re- abroad are Community Framework scaled indicator insufficient 2000-2006 (2,8 billion values using only EUR) was for the regions within each investments in the ICT particular country) infrastructures. region was 83% of the national average innovation performance. 4.